Coalition urges NASS panel to enforce real-time electronic transmission of election results
A coalition of youth-focused civil society organisations, the Youth Electoral Reform Project (YERP-Naija) Consortium, has called on the National Assembly’s Electoral Act amendment Conference Committee to adopt mandatory electronic transmission
A coalition of youth-focused civil society organisations, the Youth Electoral Reform Project (YERP-Naija) Consortium, has called on the National Assembly’s Electoral Act amendment Conference Committee to adopt mandatory electronic transmission of election results in real time, as provided in the version of the bill passed by the House of Representatives.
In a statement on the ongoing harmonisation of the Electoral Act amendment bill, the group welcomed the Senate’s emergency sitting to revisit key provisions after public concerns over changes made to the House version passed in December 2025.
The statement was jointly signed by Bukola Idowu of Kimpact Development Initiative; Zigwai Ayuba of J-DEV Foundation; Abimbola Aladejare Salako of The New Generation Girls and Women Development Initiative; Nonso Orakwe of Catch Them Young Community Initiative; Israel Orekha of Connected Advocacy; and Ashraf Tukur of Child Protection and Peer Learning Initiative.
The consortium noted that on Tuesday, February 10, 2026, the Nigerian Senate revisited Clause 60(3) of the amendment bill, which governs the transmission of election results, and adopted electronic transmission of results after previously rejecting it. YERP-Naija said the development showed that accountable leaders listen to citizens and act in the public interest.
However, the coalition expressed concern that while the Senate moved closer to safeguards demanded by Nigerian youth and other citizens by adopting electronic transmission, it stopped short of mandating that results be transmitted in real time, as provided in the House version.
According to the group, Nigerians overwhelmingly demanded mandatory real-time electronic transmission to address human interference and compromise in election collation processes.
YERP-Naija described the referral of the differing versions of the amendment bill passed by both chambers to a Conference Committee for harmonisation as a significant step in the electoral reform process.
It also welcomed the Senate President’s directive that the committee conclude the harmonisation within a week to enable presidential assent before the end of February 2026, urging lawmakers to meet the timeline.
The coalition warned that the Senate’s provision in Section 60(3), which allows a return to manual transfer of election results when technology fails, could open a window for electoral fraud.
It argued that individuals or groups intent on manipulating elections could exploit the provision by engineering or faking connectivity failures to revert to manual processes considered unreliable.
YERP-Naija said internet connectivity across Nigeria has improved over the years and that remaining gaps could be addressed ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The group further explained that the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) is capable of recording exact time stamps when results are uploaded without network access and transmitting them to the Independent National Electoral Commission’s Results Viewing portal once connectivity is restored, thereby confirming that uploads occurred in real time even if transmission was delayed.
It urged members of the Conference Committee to carefully consider the facts and place national interest above political expediency by adopting the House version mandating real-time electronic transmission of election results.
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The coalition noted that Nigerian youth support the provision and that the Independent National Electoral Commission had already deployed the system extensively during the 2023 general elections.
It added that the demand was not new, citing expert opinions by the Nigerian Society of Engineers affirming that mandatory real-time transmission is feasible for the 2027 polls.
With the 2027 general elections approaching, YERP-Naija stressed the need for timely passage of the Electoral Act amendment bill and related constitutional amendments affecting the electoral process to enable credible elections. It warned that delays or diluted provisions could constrain implementation timelines and weaken the impact of reforms.
“Nigeria stands at a defining moment in its democratic journey. The outcome of the harmonisation process will shape public confidence in the electoral system and the legitimacy of future elections,” the statement said, adding that the amendment must strengthen legal safeguards protecting the will of the electorate.
The coalition reiterated its commitment to constructive engagement with lawmakers and stakeholders to advance reforms that promote transparency, credibility and inclusive democratic governance.